Follow me on Twitter

Category: Random

We here at ClutterStuff, like most of our readers, love cool T-shirts. We love the exclusive T-shirt designs that come in many of the subscription boxes we receive. The more unique the better.

Of course, the popularity of subscription boxes means that those shirts in Loot Crate and Nerd Block may be exclusive, but you might bump into someone else with the same shirt. Especially at a comic or sci-fi convention, where other subscribers might tend to congregate.

If you want truly unique T-shirts, how about a shirt that is only available in one store, for just 24 hours? At the end of the day, the shirt is retired forever? Believe it or not, there are actually a couple of online stores that offer exactly that.

Tee Fury offers two new T-shirt designs each day, from midnight to midnight, U. S. Eastern time. They also offer exclusive designs on posters, leggings, and shoes. Some old designs are brought back to life and available for sale at a higher price. Here are a few recent designs:

ShirtPunch offers four daily designs, from midnight to midnight, U. S. Eastern time. The designs can be printed on T-shirts, fitted shirts, pullover hoodies, or zippered hoodies. There is no way to see past or future designs, or purchase past designs. Here are a few recent designs saved at the time they were available. (FYI: They are also the driving force behind Nerd Block.)

Qwertee offers two daily designs from 11pm to 11pm GMT Greenwich Meantime (6pm US Eastern Time) or until they sell out. The previous day’s designs might be available on a “Last Chance” basis on the following day, at a slightly higher price. They allow you to vote on future designs so we have a voice in the process. You can also vote to “bring back” past designs. They also have a lot of giveaways—chances to win free T-shirts for supporters. They are based in the UK, but ship to many countries, including the United States. Here are a few recent designs:

TeeTee is based in Italy, but they ship worldwide. They offer a new T-shirt design every day for 24 hours, from midnight to midnight in Italy (or 6pm U. S. Eastern). Designs are selected by users voting for those that they like the best. Designs can be purchased on the following day (as an “Overtime Tee“) for a slightly higher price. After a design expires, it goes to the “Sanctuary.” Here are some recent designs:

teeVillain offers a new design every 24 hours, from midnight to midnight U. S. Eastern time. The designs are fun and a bit “macabre.” They print to T-shirts, tank tops, stickers, and limited edition prints. Some designs are available in some formats for a longer (but unpredictable) period of time in the siniStore. You can visit past designs in the Gallery. Here a few recent designs:

MTV will air its “Fandom Awards” program tonight (Sunday, 12 July 2015). I’ll admit, I was really excited to hear about this. The “About” blurb says this: “Attention fanboys and fangirls: MTV’s Fandom of the Year showdown is back! Which one of your favorite fandoms will rise above the rest in 2015 to take the crown?”

Huh? How exactly is MTV defining “fandom”? “A bunch of random things”? Would anyone consider any of the comedies listed to be fandoms? How about the reality shows? Where are classic fandoms like Star Wars, Star Trek, Dr. Who, etc.? Heck, where is The Walking Dead, one of the highest rated television programs of the past five years?

Of course, with voting being done by the MTV viewership, which must be entirely comprised of teenage girls, it is no surprise that The Hunger Games and Insurgent won. The fact that they beat Mad Max and Guardians of the Galaxy is more than a little messed up.

It seems that “geeky” or “nerdy” things—things like comic books, Star Wars, and video games—things once reviled, are now the hottest things in pop culture.

Avengers: Age of Ultron has broken box office records this year, and we haven’t even seen the opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens yet. Gotham, Arrow, and The Flash are among the hottest shows on TV, not to mention Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.

So what is the difference between a “geek” and a “nerd”? What qualities make one a “geek” or a “nerd”?

One infographic, published by FactSpy.net in 2012, recognizes the trend, but attributes the trendiness to “geeks,” while attributing poor social behavior to “nerds.”

Well, aside for a few inconvenient truths:

1. Geek was not the name for circus performers who “performed amazing feats.” It was the name for circus performers who ate non-food items, most commonly biting the heads off of live chickens.

2. Nerds only appear socially awkward to non-nerds. Nerds usually have large circles of friends, who may also be nerds. And in many cases these friends are far more trustworthy and loyal than the friends of non-nerds.

It is true, however, that nerds may be socially different. They may like things that others don’t like, or not care about things that others find important. Nerds may obsess over comic books or science-fiction, but non-nerds may obsess over their wardrobe or their car. Why has one type of interest been traditionally considered “nerdy” and the other “normal”?

It is also true that nerds might be introverted. To non-introverts introversion may appear to be “socially ineptitude” or “social awkwardness.” It’s not. In one-on-one or small group interactions, introverted people are just as social as anyone else.

The following Venn diagram, from WikiHow, promotes this weird distinction between geeks and nerds:

(Not to mention that I don’t think I’ve heard the word “dweeb” used since the 1980s.)

Geeks and nerds might be more intelligent than average. I think that this was always the case, traditionally. As noted above, however, “geeky” is now trendy. Which means that the same hipster, trendy crowd that gets into every passing fad, now calls themselves “geeks” and “nerds.” This has had the effect of bringing down the average IQ of nerd-kind.

So, how do would I identify myself, as a “geek” or a “nerd.” Personally, I prefer the term “nerd” to “geek” (I can’t get the chicken-head-biting out of my head). I once hated both these names, but at my age I can take pride in the qualities that make me a nerd. I can embrace my intelligence and my quirky interests as integral parts of myself, and if that makes me a nerd, then so be it.

What do you think? Would you identify as a “geek” or a “nerd” (or something else)? What do you think the difference between the two terms is?

Please leave a comment below (and don’t forget to “Follow” ClutterStuff with the button on the left).

From time to time I will post one of the short articles I published in the original Clutterstuff zine from 20 years ago. Please remember that this was twenty years ago, and I was 18 years old. No significant edits have been made, including spelling & grammar problems.

“Who Wants my MTV?!?!”

Remember back in the days when MTV showed good music? No? Well, do you remember when they at least showed more videos than game shows? OK, that seems to spark a little glint of nostalgia in yr cloudy eyes. Remember the first time you turned on MTV? I do. I saw David Lee Roth’s video for “California Girls.” I laughed like hell, ’cause I was only like 8 or so when we first got cable.

Well, MTV has changed a lot since then. It seems to have forgotten that MTV stands for “music television,” and tries hard to act like a cable network a la USA or TBS. I’d like someone to explain to me what “The Real World” has to do with music, or even with the real world in general.

And the worst part of it all is the fact that the rest of the world tries to use MTV as “A Guide to Generation X.” So, for all you non-“Gen-Xers,” here it is:

MTV’s Guide to Generation X for Non-Gen-Xers

We here at MTV would like to take the time to present a guide to our programming for all non-members of [the] Generation X community, allowing you rare insight into the inner workings of the communal mind of this generational group…

Beavis & Butthead
This cartoon caters to the assinine sense of humor that all Gen-Xers possess, displaying the moronia present in the burnt minds of this generation.

The Real World
Melodrama amongst the various subgroups existing in the Gen-X society. Past demographics have included feminists, AIDS patients, budding musicians, cartoonists, surfers, homosexuals, troublesome minorities, drunken Irishmen, and pointless slacers. Yes, all existent subgroups of Generation X are represented in this series.

Singled Out
Correctly represents the Gen-Xer’s careless approach to dating and emphasis on sex even in this era of the AIDS epidemic.

Dead at 21
Demonstrates the feelings of pointlessness, hopelessness and angst present in most members of Generation X.

Lip Service
Displays the Gen-Xer’s general lack of innovation but practiced ability to recycle and mimic previous hits of other generational groups.

MTV News
Presents news items of interest to the average Gen-Xer, including Snoop Doggy Dogg’s trial, the aftermath of Kurt Cobain’s suicide & subsequent mass suicides among his fans, and Courtney Love’s every move.

—————-

[Clutterstuff Note: We would like to remind you, our faithful readers, that we have, in a selfless display of good taste, printed only brief excerpts of this disgusting “guide.” This guide continues to present such wonderful information as the reasoning behind MTV’s programming saturation by such talentless losers as Green Day and Stone Temple Pilots and the MTV invisibility of true musical artists as Sonic Youth.]

These fun videos are presented in no particular order. If you know of any others that are good, please feel free to share a link in the comments. There are so many out there that no single list could ever be comprehensive. When I come across enough good ones, I’ll post a sequel to this list.

Not a prequel, though. Never a prequel.

But first, the godfather of all musical parodists:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEcjgJSqSRU]

Sadly, I could not find an official video for “Yoda” (1985) which predates this prequel video by almost 15 years. There were a number of fan-made videos, but the closest would probably have to be one of the several live performances by “Weird Al” himself.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=810638fCvrQ]

And now for the rest of my selections.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJlbPXZEpRE]

More Star Wars-themed videos:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV5WqRnFejI]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi7KPDi_yQI]

From the “Beat a Dead Horse” Department, another take on the same song:

Did you know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have published zombie preparedness tips on their website?

The site includes “Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse” tips for preparing for any emergency. According to the CDC, “You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.” I’ll be laughing when they discovery just how real a zombie apocalypse may be. 😉